Woman Soldiers: Photo Kerfuffle Update

Suzanne Swift's mother has weighed in on the "controversy" over this photograph of her daughter that accompanied a New York Times Magazine article on how women returning home from the Iraq War have had to struggle with the violence they experienced, sometimes in the form of sexual assaults.

I cross-posted my Kiko's House rant of yesterday regarding feminists who are attacking the photo as being cheesecake and sexually exploitive at The Moderate Voice, where I co-blog.

That post elicited a goodly number of responses, including this one from Suzanne's mother:

"Well, there is a long story behind this picture. Suzanne was threatened with another court martial if she went through with this photo shoot and restricted to base.

"I agree that it is a weird pose for them to use, let alone take in the first place for this type of story. It has nothing to do with feminism for me, it just does not reflect the issues at hand, or does it?

"As a mother, it frustrates me the way people criticize Suzanne for her tattoos. Like girls that have them are asking to be raped. People need to remember that she was wearing her uniform in Iraq covered in sand and dirt.

"Sorry, I was just getting over this stuff then this picture came out and I feel as if I have to defend her all over again."

Yes, the photo does not reflect the issues at hand, and the kerfuffle over it doesn't either while making some self-described feminists seem downright petty.

I cannot stress enough that any blogger is entitled to blog about whatever she chooses, and there are a wide and often engaging variety of subjects at the feminist-centric blogs that I read and include in my blogroll.

But I cannot recall reading about the issues -- and they are damned important ones -- raised in the Times Magazine article at any of these blogs. That said, I am willing to stand corrected if anyone can point me in the right direction. Credit will be given where it's due.

Photograph by Katy Grannan for The New York Times